When It Hurts…

Jars of Clay

If someone called you a "jar of clay," what would you think? It probably wouldn’t be the best compliment you’d ever received, especially as jars may be chipped, flawed or broken. We can all feel that way, though. None of us are perfect. But the truth is that Jesus changed that: “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14 NIV). We may feel like we have nothing to offer and that we’re too broken to be used by God, but that’s simply not true. God has a habit of using the most unlikely people. Throughout the Bible, we see God choosing people who had problems, issues and flaws. From Moses’ struggle with public speaking, to Sarah’s refusal to believe that God would give her a child, to Jonah’s stubbornness…the list could go on. We can’t use our brokenness as an excuse to avoid what God’s calling us to do. God wants to use us now. When we’re struggling, we can still inspire others because they can see God’s grace working through us even though we’re as broken as they are. There’s a Japanese tradition of mending broken pottery with gold. The cracks are still visible but now they’re filled with something beautiful. That’s what God does with us. As the potter (see Jeremiah 18:1-4), He takes us, the cracked jars of clay, and puts us back together again to create something even more beautiful than before. He’s healing all our broken places, but He’s also calling us to partner with Him while that process takes place.

What Now?

The next time something breaks, try to fix it rather than just throwing it out. Use it as a reminder that God’s fixing your brokenness, too.